Survival of Vernacular Building Traditions

Wig-wen-fach: golwg o’r tu mewn a’r nenfforch sgarff.
Wig-wen-fach: interior view with scarfed cruck. Llun/Image: DS2010_116_003 / NPRN: 35396

Wig-wen-fach, Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Cyfeiriai teithwyr yn y ddeunawfed ganrif a’r ganrif ddilynol yn aml at gyflwr ffiaidd bythynnod a ffermdai bach Cymru, adeiladau a fyddai, yn fynych, â muriau o fwd, toeon gwellt, simneiau go fregus a thu mewn tywyll a brwnt. Ond mae modd gorliwio’r darlun hwnnw: yn aml, mae’r bythynnod sydd wedi goroesi (a detholiad ohonynt yn unig sydd wedi gwneud hynny, wrth gwrs) yn adeiladau cadarn a’u nodweddion wedi’u saernïo’n gelfydd.

Enghraifft brin o’r traddodiad adeiladu brodorol hwnnw yw bwthyn Wig-wen-fach ar ystâd Llanerchaeron, Sir Aberteifi. Tan yn ddiweddar, bu’n llety i weithwyr fferm yr ystâd ond yr oedd yn wag pan waddolwyd ef i’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol ym 1989. Penderfyniad goleuedig yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol oedd cadw’r bwthyn fel y mae yn hytrach na’i foderneiddio a’i ddatblygu. Cyferbyniad difyr i ymwelwyr â’r ystâd yw’r un rhwng y plasty gwych a godwyd gan John Nash yn y G18fed ganrif a’r bwthyn ystâd unllawr o’r un cyfnod.

Yn Wig-wen-fach cadwyd nodweddion crefft sydd wedi diflannu i raddau helaeth mewn mannau eraill. Mae cryn dipyn o glai yn y waliau. Ar y tu mewn, cadwyd y plastr gwreiddiol, fflagiau’r llawr, y paredau o fasgedwaith, mantell y lle tân, y nenffyrch sgarff a’r defnydd o dan y to. Tu mewn o ran gynnar y G19eg sydd i Wig-wen-fach. Yng ngeiriau craff Eurwyn Wiliam, ‘cartrefi o waith cartref’ oedd y bythynnod: yn aml, y bobl a’u codai a fyddai’n byw ynddynt, a defnyddient sgiliau’r crefftau traddodiadol at y gwaith. Fel y cyfryw, maent yn enghreifftiau cynnar o adeiladu cynaladwy sy’n cynnig gwersi i ni yn y G21ain. Drwy’r Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yn unig y ceir gwneud apwyntiad i ymweld â Wig-wen-fach.

Cysylltau:

• Cofnod Wig-wen-fach yn Coflein: NPRN 35396
• Cofnod Llanerchaeron yn Coflein: NPRN 3024
• Yr Ymddiriedolaeth Genedlaethol yn Llanerchaeron

Wig-wen-fach: golwg o’r tu allan.
Wig-wen-fach: exterior view. Llun/Image: DS2010_116_002 / NPRN: 35396

Wig-wen-fach, Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Travellers in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Wales often alluded to the wretched state of cottages and small farmhouses that were frequently mud-walled, thatched, with make-shift chimneys, and internally dark and squalid. And yet this picture can be overdrawn: surviving cottages (and of course they are only the select survivors) are often robust with well-crafted features.

Wig-wen-fach, on the Llanerchaeron estate in Cardiganshire, is a precious survival of this vernacular building tradition. Latterly it provided cottage accommodation for farm workers on the estate, and was empty when bequeathed to the National Trust in 1989. The National Trust has made an enlightened decision not to modernise or develop the cottage but to preserve it as it is. There is an illuminating contrast for visitors to the estate between the splendid C18th mansion built by John Nash and the contemporary single-storey estate cottage.

Wig-wen-fach preserves craft features that have largely disappeared elsewhere. The walls have generous quantities of clay and internally, the original plaster, the flagged floors, wickerwork partitions, fireplace hood, scarfed cruck-trusses, and underthatch survive. Wig-wen-fach preserves an early C19th craft interior. In Eurwyn Wiliam’s felicitous phrase, cottages like these were ‘home-made homes’: they were often built by the people who lived in them using their traditionally-learnt craft skills and as such the provide early examples of sustainable building that have lessons for us in the C21st. Access to Wig-wen-fach is by appointment only through the National Trust.

Links:

• Wig-wen-fach Coflein entry: NPRN 35396
• Llanerchaeron Coflein entry: NPRN 3024
• The National Trust at Llanerchaeron

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:

• Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
• Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales

BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

Subscribe to the Heritage of Wales News and sign up for the full feed RSS, just click this RRS button and subscribe!

Severn Estuary Flood of 20th January 1607

Golwg o’r awyr o’r gwaith cloddio yn Allteuryn.
St Mary Magdalen's, Goldcliff, view from north-east. Image/Llun: AP_2005_1219 / NPRN: 307350

Mae’r Comisiwn Brenhinol yn casglu gwybodaeth am arysgrifau yng Nghymru ers tro byd. Negeseuon o’r gorffennol yw’r rheiny, ac fe’u codwyd yn fwriadol er mwyn i ni eu darllen yn y dyfodol. Fe’u gwelir yn gyffredin ar adeiladau ac mae modd eu defnyddio i lunio mapiau a graffiau o weithgarwch adeiladu. Mae arysgrifau’n ddiddorol oherwydd eu hiaith (Cymraeg, Saesneg neu Ladin) a’r digwyddiad a goffeir ganddynt. Weithiau, cafwyd digwyddiadau mor drychinebus nes mynnu codi cofeb iddynt – enghraifft o hynny yw cofeb Tân Llundain (1666). Mae’r arysgrif yn Allteuryn yn un o sawl cofeb i orlif mawr 20fed Ionawr 1607 a wnaeth gymaint o ddifrod i lawer o’r tir ar hyd glannau aber afon Hafren.

Mae’r arysgrif ar blât pres bach yn eglwys Allteuryn yn odli a hynny, mae’n debyg, i’w gwneud hi’n fwy cofiadwy: “On the 20 day of January even as it came to pas/ It pleased God the flood did flow to the edge of this same brass/ and in this parish there was lost 5000 and od pound/ Besides xxii people was in this parish drowned.” Pa mor uchel oedd y dŵr? Mewn sawl eglwys gyfagos (e.e. Llan-bedr Gwynllŵg) dangosir union lefel y gorlif â phlwg plwm (ac ynddo soced i ffon) a lefel. Mae’r uchderau wedi’u mesur yn fanwl-gywir ac yn dangos i’r gorlif gyrraedd uchder o 7.14 m (23.4 troedfedd) uwchlaw lefel y môr. Gan ddefnyddio’r uchderau hynny, gallwn ni fras-fodelu hyd a lled y gorlif ar wastadeddau Gwent hyd at lle mae’r M4 heddiw ar ymyl y gwastatir llifwaddod.

Yn ôl y ffynonellau dogfennol, achoswyd dinistr ar hyd arfordir Cymru cyn belled â Bae Caerfyrddin. Ond ceir gwahaniaeth barn ymysg haneswyr hinsawdd ynghylch ai dygyfor storm ai swnami – pwnc rhaglen wych Timewatch (BBC, 2005) – a achosodd y gorlif. Wnawn ni ddim poeni am hynny: y dirwedd hanesyddol sydd o ddiddordeb i ni.

Er y gall rhai cymunedau fod wedi methu ag ymadfer ar ôl y gorlif, fe ymadferodd gwastadeddau Gwent i raddau helaeth am fod yno (o hyd) system o forgloddiau, ffosydd (reens) a llifddorau (gouts) i reoli’r dŵr. Nid dyna’r tro cyntaf, wrth gwrs, i’r tir gael ei orlifo. Rhoddwyd y gorau i ddefnyddio Priordy Allteuryn ganol y G15fed ar ôl gorlif, a dyna pryd y codwyd eglwys y plwyf. Mae’r morgloddiau y rhoddwyd y gorau i’w defnyddio yn dangos bod proses barhaus o ennill a cholli tir wedi bod yn digwydd yno ers oes yr arth a’r blaidd. O safbwynt archaeolegol, mae’n fro gyfoethog iawn.

Er i’r eglwysi a godwyd o gerrig wrthsefyll y gorlif, mae llenyddiaeth y pamffledi’n awgrymu nad dyna hanes llawer o’r tai. Yn sicr, mae’n anodd iawn dod o hyd i dai cynnar ar wastadeddau Gwent, ond fe godwyd Little Porton, ger eglwys Whitson, yn y traddodiad brodorol lleol. Fe ddysgwn ni gryn dipyn o’i astudio. Yma, yr ydym ar wastatir llifwaddod heb fawr o goed na cherrig adeiladu. Rhaid dod â defnyddiau adeiladu sylfaenol, fel coed, cerrig ac, yn ddiweddarach, frics yma. Yn Little Porton fe welwn ni ddefnydd adeiladu arall, sef clai. O dan y llifwaddodion ceir gre, clai morol gludiog y gellid ei ddefnyddio i godi adeiladau. Er i Little Porton gael ei godi ar ôl y gorlif, mae’n rhoi syniad da o bryd a gwedd adeilad a godwyd yn yr G17eg - adeilad hir ac isel â tho gwellt. Mae’n fwy na thebyg i’r waliau blaen ac ochr gael eu hailgodi, ond wal o glai yw’r un gefn o hyd. Mae hynny’n dangos mai defnydd adeiladu brodorol a lleol oedd y clai morol lleol. Cwympo wnaiff waliau clai, wrth gwrs, pan gânt eu gwlychu, a dyna a ddigwyddodd, mae’n debyg, adeg gorlif 1606/7.

Wrth ochr y bwthyn mae adeilad difyr arall, sef beudy a godwyd o blanciau. Mae i hwnnw, hefyd, do gwellt. Mae’n gwbl annhebyg i’r adeiladau fferm eraill sydd wedi goroesi yn y fro. Er bod coed yn brin, defnyddiwyd planciau’n helaeth wrth ei godi. Codwyd y waliau o blanciau gan eu gosod ochr wrth ochr â’i gilydd a’u cysylltu â sbigynnau. Lwc dda’r adeiladydd oedd iddo gael gafael ar lwyth o blanciau. Hoffwn gredu mai rhan o gynhaeaf y môr oedd hwnnw.


Cysylltau:

• Y cofnod o Nodweddion Rhynglanwol Gorllewinol Allteuryn yn Coflein: NPRN 400758
• Priordy Allteuryn: Cofnod Priordy Mair Magdalen (Urdd San Bened) yn Coflein: NPRN 307861
• Cofnod Eglwys Mair Magdalen, Allteuryn, yn Coflein: NPRN 307350
• Cofnod Little Porton yn Coflein: NPRN 45058
• BBC Timewatch: ‘Britain’s Forgotten Floods’

Awyrlun o Eglwys Mair Magdalen, Allteuryn, o’r gogledd-ddwyrain.
Aerial view of Goldcliff excavations. Image/Llun: DI2007_1576 / NPRN: 400758

The Royal Commission has been collecting information on inscriptions in Wales for a long time. They are messages from the past deliberately put there for us to read in the future. They are commonly seen on buildings and they can be used them to construct maps and graphs of building activity. Inscriptions are interesting because of the language used (English, Welsh or Latin) and the event commemorated. Sometimes events were so cataclysmic that they demanded commemoration – like the Fire of London memorial (1666). The inscription at Goldcliff is one of several memorials to the great flood of 20th January 1607 which devastated much of the Severn estuary.

The inscription is on a small brass plate in Goldcliff church and is in rhyme, presumably to make it more memorable: “On the 20 day of January even as it came to pas/ It pleased God the flood did flow to the edge of this same brass/ and in this parish there was lost 5000 and od pound/ Besides xxii people was in this parish drowned.” How high was the water? At several adjacent churches (e.g. Peterstone Wentlooge ) the actual flood level is marked with a lead plug (socketed for a stick) and a level. The heights have been accurately measured showing the flood here reached a height of 7.14 m. (23.4. feet) above OD. Using these heights we can model in a rough and ready way the extent of the flood that covered the Gwent levels reaching all the way to the present M4 on the edge of the alluvial plain.

Documentary sources provide evidence that the destruction reached around the Welsh coast as far as Carmarthen Bay. However there are differing views among climate historians as to whether the flood was caused by a storm surge or a tsunami, the subject of a brilliant Timewatch programme (BBC, 2005). That doesn’t concern us here – we are interested in the historic landscape.

Some communities may never have fully recovered from the flood, but the Gwent levels did largely because it had (and still has) a water management system of sea-walls, dykes or reens and sluices or gouts. This wasn’t of course the first time this area had flooded. Goldcliff Priory was abandoned in the mid-C15th after flooding, and the parish church was built then. Abandoned seawalls show that there has been a continual process of reclaiming and abandoning land from a remote period. The area is archaeologically very rich.

Stone built churches withstood the flood but the pamphlet literature suggests that many houses didn’t. It is certainly very hard to find early houses on the Gwent levels. However, Little Porton, near Whitson church, is built in the local vernacular tradition, and is really quite an illuminating house. We are on an alluvial plain without much tree-cover or building stone here. Basic building materials wood, stone and, later, brick, have to be imported. At Little Porton we see a third alternative building material - clay. Underneath the alluvial deposits there is gre, sticky marine clay which can be used for building. Little Porton is a post-flood building but it gives a good idea of what a C17th buildings was like - long and low with a thatched roof. The front and side walls have probably been rebuilt but the rear wall is still clay, and shows that the local marine clay was a local vernacular building material. Of course when clay walls get wet they collapse, and this is probably what happened in 1606/7 flood.

Alongside the cottage there is another intriguing building. This is a plank-built cowhouse, which is also thatched. It is quite unlike any other surviving farm building in the area. Timber is scarce here and yet this is lavishly plank-built. The walls are built from planks set side by side and spiked together. The builder had the good fortune to acquire a load of planks. I’d like to believe that this was part of the harvest of the sea.


Links:

• Goldcliff Intertidal Features West Coflein entry: NPRN 400758
• Goldcliff Priory: Priory of St. Mary Magdalane (Benedictine) Coflein entry: NPRN 307861
• St. Mary Magdalene’s, Goldcliff Coflein entry: NPRN 307350
• Little Porton Coflein entry: NPRN 45058
• BBC Timewatch: ‘Britain’s Forgotten Floods’ 

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:

• Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
• Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales

BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

Subscribe to the Heritage of Wales News and sign up for the full feed RSS, just click this RRS button and subscribe!

Bardsey Island & Its Remarkable History

Peintiad dyfrlliw o Oleudy Enlli gan Douglas Hague.
Watercolour painting of Bardsey Lighthouse by Douglas Hague. Image/Llun: DI2005_0679

Golwg newydd ar Ynys Enlli
Ar ben gorllewinol Pen Llŷn y mae Ynys Enlli. Er ei bod hi’n fach, mae iddi hanes rhyfeddol, a hyd heddiw mae rhyw naws ddirgel iddi. Bu’n gyrchfan i bererinion am gyfnod maith Honnid bod tair pererindod i Enlli yn gyfwerth ag un i Rufain, ond hyd y dydd heddiw mae’n ynys sy’n anodd ei chyrraedd. Er mwyn i bawb allu gweld sut mae “ynys yr ugain mil o saint” wedi newid o oes i oes, mae’r Comisiwn Brenhinol wedi bod yn gweithio gyda’r artist 3D Iwan Peverett i ddatblygu cyfres o animeiddiadau cyfrifiadurol yn bennaf ar gyfer gwefan newydd Casgliad y Werin, sef *www.casgliadywerincymru.com*. Bydd y fideos byr hynny’n cynnig cipolwg ar y ffordd y mae cartrefi a bywydau trigolion yr ynys wedi datblygu o’r Oes Haearn hyd at ddiwedd y 19eg ganrif.

Yr olion archaeolegol cynharaf ar Enlli yw sylfeini crwn, petryal ac is-betryal sawl grŵp o gytiau ar lethrau gwyllt Mynydd Enlli. Er nad oes fawr o dystiolaeth i roi dyddiad i’r olion hynny, mae safleoedd tebyg ar y tir mawr wedi’u dyddio’n bendant i’r Oes Haearn (700 C.C. - 43 O.C.). Y rheiny sydd wedi bod yn sail i adlunio anheddiad o’r Oes Haearn ar yr ynys.

Man cychwyn hanes Cristnogaeth ar Enlli oedd y gymuned o fynachod a sefydlwyd gan Sant Cadfan yn y chweched ganrif, a chyn pen dim o dro daeth yr ynys yn hoff fan claddu ymhlith pobl dduwiol. Mae’n debyg bod safle’r fynachlog gynnar honno’n debyg i un yr abaty diweddarach. Nid yn unig y mae’n gymharol gysgodol a bod golygfeydd braf ohono ar draws yr ynys a’r môr, ond hefyd mae ef yn ymyl un o ffynhonnau mwyaf dibynadwy’r ynys.

Er bod mwy o dystiolaeth o’r abaty o’r cyfnod tua diwedd yr Oesoedd Canol, mae’r ffaith fod cyn lleied o dystiolaeth faterol yno’n golygu ei bod hi’n anodd creu darlun pendant o gynllun yr adeiladau. Adeg diddymu’r mynachlogydd, cofnodwyd bod yr abaty’n cynnwys priordy, tŷ eglwys, tŵr pigfain, ystafelloedd, ysguboriau, stablau, perllannau, 8 gardd, 4 dôl, eglwys, tŷ’r abad, a chapel bwaog hir ac iddo allor ar ei phen ei hun yn un pen iddo, ysbyty, storfeydd, geudy, mynwent a llyfrgell, a’r cyfan ohonynt wedi’u codi o gerrig. Cyfunwyd y wybodaeth am yr adeiladau hynny ag ymchwil i abatai Awstinaidd eraill, gan gynnwys Priordy Penmon, i gael rhyw syniad o’r arddull a’r manylion pensaernïol ar gyfer creu’r adluniad.

Erbyn i Thomas Pennant ymweld â’r ynys ym 1770, tyddynnod oedd yno, ac mae’n disgrifio “a fertile plain... well cultivated... productive of everything the mainland offers”. Daw’r dystiolaeth am yr ynys yn y cyfnod hwnnw o ddisgrifiadau ysgrifenedig yn bennaf, gan gynnwys un Pennant, a map cyfoes sy’n dangos patrwm y ffermydd a therfynau’r caeau. Bu cofnod Chris Arnold o derfynau caeau’r ynys, gan gynnwys y gwahanol ddefnyddiau a’r technegau adeiladu a ddefnyddid ar draws yr ynys, hefyd yn amhrisiadwy. Un adeiladwaith amlwg o’r cyfnod hwnnw sy’n dal yno yw’r odyn galch ar hyd y ffordd o Dŷ Pellaf.

Yn y 1870au gwnaeth Trydydd Barwn Niwbwrch gyfres o ‘welliannau’ mawr i adeiladau’r ynys. Yn lle’r bythynnod â’u croglofftydd, codwyd amryw o ffermdai a thai allan a gawsai eu cynllunio’n bwrpasol, ac ym 1821 fe ddechreuwyd defnyddio’r goleudy. Mae tŵr y goleudy’n 99 troedfedd o uchder, a dyma dŵr sgwâr talaf unrhyw oleudy ym Mhrydain. Er mai bandiau o baent coch a gwyn sydd arno erbyn heddiw, gwyn yn unig oedd ef yn wreiddiol. Ychwanegiad pwysig arall i drigolion yr ynys oedd y capel newydd a’r tŷ capel drws nesaf iddo.

Cysylltau:

• Enlli yn yr Oes Haearn
• Enlli yn yr Oesoedd Canol cynnar
• Enlli yn yr Oesoedd Canol diweddar
• Enlli yn y cyfnod ôl-ganoloesol
• Enlli yn y 19eg Ganrif

Awyrlun o adfeilion abaty’r Santes Fair.
Aerial view of the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey. Image/Llun: DI2005_0240

New views of Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island lies just off the western tip of the Llyn Peninsula. While small, it has a remarkable history and even today retains an air of mystery. Long a focal point for pilgrimage, it was claimed that three pilgrimages to Bardsey were equal to one to Rome, but to this day it remains a destination that is difficult to access. Developed primarily for the new People’s Collection Wales website *www.peoplescollectionwales.com*, the Royal Commission has been working with 3D artist Iwan Peverett to develop a series of computer-generated reconstruction animations which allow everyone to see how the “island of twenty-thousand saints” has changed over time. These short videos provide a glimpse of how the homes and lives of those living on the island have developed from the Iron Age to the late 19th century.

The earliest archaeological remains on Bardsey are the circular, rectangular and sub-rectangular foundations of several hut groups, visible on the uncultivated slopes of Mynydd Enlli. There is little dating evidence for these remains, but similar sites on the mainland are conclusively dated to the Iron Age (700 B.C. – 43 A.D.), and these have provided the basis for a reconstruction of an Iron Age settlement on the island.

The history of Christianity on Bardsey started with the monastic community founded by St Cadfan in the sixth century, and the island soon became a favoured burial place for the devout. It is likely that this early monastery was located in a similar position to the later abbey as not only is it relatively sheltered, with good views of the island and sea, it is also located near to one of the most dependable springs on the island.

While more evidence exists for the abbey during the later medieval period, it is difficult to be sure of the design and layout of the buildings as so little physical evidence remains. It was recorded at the time of dissolution that the abbey comprised a priory, church house, steeple, rooms, barns, stables, orchards, 8 gardens, 4 pastures, a church, abbots house, and a long arched chapel with insulated altar at one end, an infirmary, stores, necessarium, cemetery and library, all stone built. Knowledge of these buildings was combined with research on other Augustinian abbeys, including Penmon Priory, to provide architectural style and details for the reconstruction.

By the time Thomas Pennant visited the island in 1770, the island was given over to croft style farming, and he describes “a fertile plain... well cultivated... productive of everything the mainland offers”. Evidence for the island in this period comes mainly from written accounts, including Pennant’s, and a contemporary map illustrating the layout of farms and field boundaries. Chris Arnold’s recording of the field boundaries on the island, including the different materials and construction techniques used across the island, also proved invaluable. One prominent structure of this date which survives is the limekiln which stands alongside the road from Ty Pellaf.

In the 1870's a series of major 'improvements' were made to the buildings on the island by the Third Baron Newborough. Earlier crog-loft cottages were replaced with a number of specially designed farm houses and outbuildings. The lighthouse with its 99ft tower, the tallest square tower of any lighthouse in the British Isles, became operational in 1821. Although today it is painted in red and white bands, it was originally just white. Another important addition for the inhabitants of the island was the new chapel, with its chapel house, Ty Capel, next door.

Links:

• Iron Age Bardsey
• Early medieval Bardsey
• Later medieval Bardsey
• Post medieval Bardsey
• 19th Century Bardsey

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:

• Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
• Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales

BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

Subscribe to the Heritage of Wales News and sign up for the full feed RSS, just click this RRS button and subscribe!

UK's Only Purpose-built Handball Court

Llun o Gwrt Pêl-law Nelson a dynnwyd ym mis Medi 2000.
View of Nelson Handball Court taken September 2000. Image/Llun: DI2009_0986

Cwrt Pêl-law Nelson, Morgannwg
Caiff pêl-law ei chwarae drwy ddefnyddio’r llaw i daro pêl galed mewn casyn o ledr yn erbyn ochr tŷ neu eglwys neu, o’r 18fed ganrif ymlaen, mewn cwrt ac iddo gefn agored. Byddai hwnnw fel rheol yn ymyl tafarn. Câi’r gamp ei chwarae o flaen tyrfaoedd i ennill gwobrau ariannol a byddai yno fetio brwd. Mae’n amlwg bod gêm fwy aristocrataidd yr ‘Eton fives’ a gâi ei chwarae mewn ysgolion gramadeg yng Nghymru yn wahanol iawn iawn i’r gêm bêl-law a chwaraeid gan y dosbarth gweithiol – yn broffesiynol, yn aml – ar hyd a lled Morgannwg yn bennaf.

Câi’r bêl ei tharo â chledr y llaw yn erbyn y wal flaen cyn ac ar ôl iddi daro’r llawr unwaith. Yr oedd chwarae’r gêm yn debyg i chwarae sboncen heb racedi, a’r nod oedd cadw’r bêl allan o gyrraedd y gwrthwynebydd ond y tu mewn i derfynau’r cwrt. Âi’r chwarae yn ei flaen tan i gystadleuydd fethu â dychwelyd y bêl. Câi’r sgoriau eu marcio ar y wal ffrynt.

Yn Nelson, Morgannwg, câi’r gêm ei chwarae gyntaf yn erbyn wal wastad tafarn y Nelson (y Village Inn erbyn hyn). Tua 1860, cododd landlord tafarn y Royal Oak gerllaw gwrt pwrpasol i geisio denu cwsmeriaid y Nelson. Efallai i’r mewnfudwyr o Iwerddon a oedd wrthi’n adeiladu Rheilffyrdd y Great Western (y lein o Pontypool Road i Gastell-nedd) a’r Taff Vale – dwy lein a redai drwy’r pentref – gyfrannu at gynllunio’r cwrt (camp dosbarth-gweithiol oedd ac yw pêl-law yn Iwerddon a châi ei chwarae mewn llawer ‘ale fawr’ a fesurai 60’ wrth 30’).

Cwrt y Nelson fu’r un enwocaf o 1880 tan yr Ail Ryfel Byd a chynhelid twrnamaint blynyddol yno o fis Mai tan fis Awst. Byddai llawer o fetio’n digwydd. Ym 1913 codwyd rhwydi gwifrau yno ar ôl i Orsaf yr Heddlu gael ei chodi gerllaw ym 1910. Delir i chwarae pêl-law yno hyd heddiw.

Cysylltau:

• Yn erbyn y wal

Llun o Gwrt Pêl-law Nelson a dynnwyd ym 1965.
View of Nelson Handball Court taken 1965. Image/Llun: DI2009_0719

Nelson Handball Court, Glamorgan
Handball is played using a hard, leather-cased ball with the hand against the side of a house, church or, from the 18th century, in an open-backed court usually near a public house. It was played in front of crowds for money prizes and betting. It is clear that the more aristocratic ‘Eton fives’ played at grammar schools in Wales was a world away from the working-class, often professional, game of handball that was played, mainly throughout Glamorgan.

Played using the palm of the hand, the ball was hit against the front wall before or after it had struck the floor once. Similar to squash without rackets, the object was to keep the ball out of the opponent's reach but inside the bounds of the court. Play continued until a competitor failed to return a ball. Scores were marked on the front wall.

At Nelson, Glamorgan, the game was first played against a flat wall of the Nelson Inn (now The Village Inn). In c.1860 the landlord of the nearby Royal Oak then constructed a purpose-built court to entice customers from the Nelson. Irish immigrants who were working on the construction of the Great Western (Pontypool Road to Neath line), and Taff Vale Railways which both passed through the village, may have had a hand in the design of this court (handball in Ireland was, and is, a working-class sport played in ‘big alleys’ measuring 60’x30’).

The Nelson court was most famous from 1880 until the Second World War with an annual tournament lasting from May - August, accompanied by much betting. Wire netting was erected in 1913 after the building of nearby Police Station in 1910. Handball is still played there today.

Links:

• Against the wall - playing handball 

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:

• Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
• Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales

BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

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Craftsmanship & Planning Of The Old House

Pantyrhwch ar ôl ei adfer.
Pantyrhwch after restoration. Image/Llun: DS2011_056_001

Pantyrhwch, Llanwnnen, Ceredigion
Mae ‘bwthyn’ yn derm braidd yn gyffredinol am amryw o wahanol fathau o annedd y mae’n ddefnyddiol gwahaniaethu rhyngddynt. Yn eu plith yr oedd y bythynnod y cafwyd caniatâd i’w codi ar dir comin; bythynnod a godwyd heb ganiatâd gan sgwatwyr sef, yn aml, ‘tai unnos’; hafotai neu luestai gwahanol ffermydd; bythynnod diwydiannol; ‘cartrefi o waith cartref’ (fel Wig-wen-fach) a godwyd gan grefftwyr a thyddynwyr, a bythynnod a ffermdai bach a godwyd gan ystadau. Trafodir hwy i gyd yn llyfr Eurwyn Wiliam Y Bwthyn Cymreig (CBHC, 2010).

Enghraifft dda o’r bwthyn-ffermdy pwrpasol yw Pantyrhwch, Llanwnnen, Ceredigion. Er bod iddo gynllun anarferol, mae’n nodweddiadol o’r math hŷn o fwthyn. Yn y talcen y mae drws y tŷ, tebyg i batrwm tŷ hir, ond cegin a ychwanegwyd at yr adeilad, yn hytrach na beudy, yw’r ‘ystafell allanol’. Elfen fwya’r brif ystafell (y gegin) yw mantell enfawr y simnai – mantell a godwyd o blastr, coed a phlethwaith. Mae’n fwy na thebyg mai cyfuniad o ystafell wely a pharlwr oedd yr ystafell fewnol. Er bod dau lawr i’r tŷ, cyfyng iawn yw’r grisiau, ac mae dau hanner-gris i bob prif ris. Tipyn o gamp yw dringo i siambrau’r llawr cyntaf heb orfod meddwl am y grisiau.

Wedi’i adfer, yn hytrach na’i foderneiddio, y mae Pantyrhwch, ac fe ddiogelwyd yr hen nodweddion ynddo oherwydd ansawdd y defnyddiau a’r grefftwriaeth. Gan fod y perchnogion yn parchu crefftwaith a chynllun yr hen dŷ, mae’r rheiny’n cyd-fynd yn hapus â ffordd gyfoes o fyw.

Cysylltau:

• Pantyrhwch, Llanwnnen NPRN 412117
• Wig-wen-fach, Llanerchaeron NPRN 35396

Pantyrhwch y grisiau a’r hanner grisiau.
Pantyrhwch stair with staggered half steps. Image/Llun: DS2011_056_003

Pantyrhwch, Llanwnnen, Ceredigion
‘Cottage’ is rather a catch-all term for a number of different types of dwelling which it is useful to distinguish. These included permitted cottages on common land; squatters’ cottages erected without permission, often as ‘one-night’ houses; summer dairies (hafod, lluest) attached to farms; industrial cottages, ‘home-made homes’ built by craftsmen and small-holders (like Wig-wen-fach), and estate-built cottages and small farmhouses. These are all discussed in Eurwyn Wiliam’s book on The Welsh Cottage (RCAHMW, 2010).

Pantyrhwch, Llanwnnen, Ceredigion, is a good example of a purpose-built cottage-farmhouse. The plan is unusual but characteristic of the older type of cottage. The house is entered from the gable end in the manner of a longhouse although the ‘outer room’ is an added back kitchen rather than a cowhouse. The main room (kitchen) is dominated by a huge fireplace hood made of plaster, timber and wattle. The inner room was probably a parlour bedroom. The house is fully storeyed but the stairs are designed not to take up much space and there are two half-steps to each riser. Going upstairs to the first-floor chambers without thinking about the steps required some practise.

Pantyrhwch has been restored rather than modernised. The old features have been preserved because of the quality of the materials and the workmanship. The owners respect the craftsmanship and planning of the old house and this happily coexists with a contemporary lifestyle.

Links:

• Pantyrhwch, Llanwnnen NPRN 412117
• Wig-wen-fach, Llanerchaeron NPRN 35396

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:

• Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
• Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales

BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

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Earliest Surviving Church Roof In Wales

Eglwys y fwrdeistref a’r castell: Sain Nicolas yn y Grysmwnt, Sir Fynw

Golwg o dref y Grysmwnt.
Grosmont Town view. Image/Llun: AP_2004_0441

Codwyd tri chastell, sef Castell y Grysmwnt, y Castell Gwyn a chastell Ynysgynwraidd, i amddiffyn y tir yr oedd y Normaniaid wedi’i gipio yng Ngwent Uchaf. Codwyd castell presennol y Grysmwnt yn y 13eg ganrif adeg cyfnerthu arglwyddiaeth Teirtref gan Hubert de Burgh. Sefydlwyd bwrdeistref newydd yn y Grysmwnt yn y G13eg ac mae prif elfennau honno, sef y castell, yr eglwys a neuadd y farchnad, yn dal yno. Er i neuadd y farchnad gael ei hailgodi yn y 19eg ganrif, mae hi wedi cadw sylfaen y groes a godwyd yn y farchnad yn yr Oesoedd Canol. Ac er bod y castell yn denu llu o ymwelwyr, mae’r eglwys yn un ddiddorol iawn er ei bod hi’n llai adnabyddus.

Eglwys fawr yw eglwys Sain Nicolas yn y Grysmwnt. Mae hi wedi cadw llawer iawn o naws eglwys o’r drydedd ganrif ar ddeg ac fe’i codwyd hi fwy neu lai yr un pryd â’r castell a oedd yn ganolbwynt yr arglwyddiaeth. Gwasanaethai’r eglwys garsiwn y castell a’r fwrdeistref newydd ac mae iddi gynllun croesffurf uchelgeisiol a thŵr canolog. Er i lawer ohoni gael ei hailgodi yn y 19eg ganrif, nid felly ei chanol hir, a thipyn o syndod i’r ymwelydd heddiw yw gweld arcedau a tho yn tra-arglwyddiaethu ar du mewn canoloesol diaddurn.

Er bod cymeriad y to hynafol yn gwbl wahanol i gymeriad unrhyw do arall yng Nghymru sydd wedi goroesi o’r Oesoedd Canol, ceir enghreifftiau tebyg iddo yn ne Lloegr. Diffinnir y baeau gan gyplau plaen iawn o ddistiau trwm. Mae pyst yn codi o’r dynlath i’r coler gorunedig ac o’r coler i’r grib; mae’r cyplau wedi’u clymu’n dynn wrth dulath goler i rwystro unrhyw ddirdynnu. Gan fod y math hwn o bwyslath yn beth prin, mae’n anodd ei ddyddio’n fanwl-gywir. Ac er bod toeon o’r fath yn drawiadol, maent yn perthyn i’r cyfnod cyn i noddwyr sylweddoli bod modd addurno holl faeau’r to. A all y to ddyddio’n ôl i gyfnod sefydlu’r eglwys yn y 13eg ganrif? Os felly, dyma’r to eglwys cynharaf yng Nghymru ac un o’r rhai cynharaf ym Mhrydain. Comisiynwyd dyddio blwyddgylchau’r coed ynddo i ddyddio’r to’n wyddonol.

Ildiodd y samplau dystiolaeth annibynnol dda a awgrymai i’r coed gael eu cwympo, mae’n debyg, rhwng 1214 a 1244. Dyddiad calonogol o gynnar. Mae hynny’n gyson â chymeriad corff yr eglwys a godwyd yn y drydedd ganrif ar ddeg ac yn dangos i’r to oroesi ers cyfnod cyntaf yr adeiladu, sef, yn fwy na thebyg, pan oedd Hubert de Burgh yn arglwydd y Grysmwnt ym 1219–32. Ym 1227, mae’r Rholiau Clos yn cofnodi i Harri III roi hanner can derwen o goedwig Trefil i de Burgh i godi adeiladau newydd yn y Grysmwnt. Mae’n debyg iawn, felly, mai’r rheiny a ddefnyddiwyd wrth godi to’r eglwys yn ogystal ag wrth godi’r castell. Nid yn unig y mae gan Eglwys y Grysmwnt y to cynharaf sydd wedi’i ddyddio’n wyddonol yng Nghymru, ond mae’n debyg mai ganddi hi y mae’r unig do eglwys yng Nghymru o’r cyfnod cyn 1400. Mae hynny i’w briodoli i gadernid y to ac i’r ffaith mai dirywio fu hanes y fwrdeistref yn ddiweddarach yn yr Oesoedd Canol.

Cysylltau:

• Cofnod Castell y Grysmwnt NPRN 93388
• Cofnod Eglwys Sain Nicolas yn Coflein: NPRN 221965
• Y Grŵp Pensaernïaeth Frodorol: Cronfa Ddata Dendrocronoleg
• Gair am y Grysmwnt (Cyngor Cymuned y Grysmwnt)

A castle-borough church: St Nicholas, Grosmont, Monmouthshire

Golwg o du mewn Eglwys Sain Nicolas yn y Grysmwnt.
Interior View of St Nicholas Church, Grosmont. Image/Llun: DI2010_1126

The castles of Grosmont, White Castle and Skenfrith defended the territory seized by the Normans in Upper Gwent, and the present castle at Grosmont belongs to the 13th century consolidation of the lordship of Three Castles by Hubert de Burgh. A new borough was founded at Grosmont in the C13th and the main elements of this still survive: castle, church and market-hall. The market-hall was rebuilt in the 19th century but still retains the base of the medieval market-cross. The castle is a popular tourist attraction, but the church is full of interest and less well known.

St Nicholas, Grosmont, is a large church with a strong thirteenth-century character and more or less contemporary with the castle which was the centre of the lordship. The church served both the castle garrison and the new borough. The church has an ambitious cruciform plan with a central tower. Much of the church was rebuilt in the 19th century, but the long, aisled nave was spared reconstruction and is a shock to the modern visitor who encounters an uncluttered medieval interior dominated by the arcades and roof.

The roof has an archaic character quite unlike any other surviving medieval roof in Wales although there are comparable examples in southern England. The bays are defined by very plain trusses of heavy scantling. Posts rise from tie-beam to lap-jointed collar and from collar to ridge; the trusses are impressively braced to a collar-purlin to prevent racking. This type of king-strut roof is rare and difficult to date with precision. While impressive, they belong to the period before the appreciation of the decorative possibilities of the heavily-bayed roof. Could it be that this roof dates back to the foundation of the church in the 13th century? If so, it would be the earliest surviving church roofs in Wales and one of the earliest in the United Kingdom. Tree-ring dating was commissioned to date the roof scientifically.

Sampling provided good independent dating evidence and gave a likely felling-date range of 1214-1244. This felling-date range is gratifyingly early. It is consistent with the thirteenth-century character of the nave and shows that the roof has survived from the first phase of building, probably when Hubert de Burgh was lord of Grosmont in 1219–32. In 1227 the Close Rolls record that Henry III granted de Burgh fifty oaks from the forest of Trevill for his new buildings at Grosmont. It seems very likely that these were used for the church roof as well as for the castle. Not only has Grosmont Church the earliest scientifically dated roof in Wales, it appears to be the only surviving pre-1400 church roof in Wales, attributable to the substantial nature of the roof and the later medieval decay of the borough.

Links:

• Grosmont Castle NPRN 93388
• St Nicholas Church NPRN 221965
• Vernacular Architecture Group: Dendrochronology Database
• About Grosmont (Grosmont Community Council)

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:

• Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
• Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales

BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3 

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

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Return of the Popular Series Hidden Histories on BBC2 Wales

Dyma gyhoeddi’r drydedd yn y gyfres boblogaidd sy’n dadlennu ein treftadaeth gudd gyda chymorth Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru

 20 Ionawr - Gorlif mawr Gwent ym 1607, y tu mewn i fwthyn Cymreig hynafol, ac ymchwilio i’r hyn a all fod yn bont gadwyni gynharaf y byd.

Nosweithiau Iau am 7.30 ar BBC DAU Cymru o 20 Ionawr 2011 ymlaen.

Announcing the third in the popular series that uncovers our hidden heritage with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales

20 January – The great Gwent flood of 1607, inside an unchanged Welsh cottage, and investigating possibly the earliest chain bridge in the world.

Thursdays at 7.30pm BBC TWO Wales from 20 January 2011.

Trysorau Cudd III 

Allteuryn a gorlif 1607
Eddie Butler a Richard Suggett sy’n ymchwilio i’r dystiolaeth ynghylch gorlif mawr 1607 ym Môr Hafren. Y man cychwyn yw arysgrif yn Eglwys Allteuryn, a daw’r daith i ben wrth fwthyn Little Porton ar wastadeddau Sir Fynwy.

Wig-wen-fach, Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Eddie Butler ac Eurwyn Wiliam sy’n ymchwilio i un o’r bythynnod olaf sydd wedi goroesi yng Ngheredigion ac un sydd wedi cadw’r mwyafrif o’i nodweddion traddodiadol.

Pont Gadwyni Llandysilio
Mae’r Bont Gadwyni wedi rhychwantu Afon Dyfrdwy am bron i 200 mlynedd. Ymchwilydd CBHC, Stephen Hughes, a’r ymchwilydd sydd wedi cael bwrsariaeth gan UNESCO, Rachael Leung, sy’n ymchwilio i weld a allai cadwyni’r bont bresennol fod yr un â’r rhai y gwnaed llun ohonynt gan sbïwr diwydiannol o Ffrainc ym 1819. Fe’i collwyd yn ddiweddarach i lifddyfroedd afon Dyfrdwy.

Hidden Histories III

 

Goldcliff and the 1607 flood
Eddie Butler and Richard Suggett investigate evidence for the great 1607 flood in the Bristol Channel beginning with an inscription in Goldcliff Church and ending at Little Porton Cottage on the Monmouthshire Levels.

Wig-wen-fach, Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion
Eddie Butler and Eurwyn Wiliam investigate one of the last surviving cottages in Ceredigion that preserves most of its traditional features.

The Llantisilio Chain Bridge
The Chain Bridge has spanned the River Dee for nearly 200 years. RCAHMW investigator Stephen Hughes and UNESCO bursary researcher Rachael Leung investigate whether the chains in the current bridge could really be those drawn by a French industrial spy in 1819 and later lost to the flood waters of the Dee.

Cyhoeddiadau/Publication:
Trysorau Cudd: Darganfod Treftadaeth Cymru
Hidden Histories: Discovering the Heritage of Wales


BBC2 Wales - Hidden Histories - Series 3 
Episode 1

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Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches

New Publication!  

Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches

Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches
Published by Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
December 2010
ISBN: 978-1-871184-39-6
Price: £35.00
Postage: £0.00
Buy Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches

Review of Contents

From the mid-first century AD to the end of the fourth century or later the tribal peoples inhabiting Wales and its borderlands felt the full impact of the might of the Roman imperial army, both as a fighting force and an occupation garrison.

In the pre-Flavian period Wales was a frontier zone par excellence. With the Flavian conquest it was held in subjection by a huge garrison, typical for a newly conquered land at the edge of empire. By Hadrian's reign, however, the garrison had been massively reduced and, except for the legions, functioned as an internal security force. Frontier characteristics re-emerge in the AD 260s as the western littoral of the empire was threatened from without; this theme of constant pressure on the frontier continued to the end of and beyond the formal military presence in the region.

This book describes and analyses the remains of the Roman army's presence in Wales, with the exception of the ephemeral marching- and practice-camps dealt with in another volume. It is divided into two parts. The first contains a series of discursive chapters dealing with the history of military activity, followed by analyses of installations, communication systems, extramural settlements and discussions of the army's impact on the environment and the native economy.

The second part is a comprehensive gazetteer of known, probable and possible military sites and Roman roads.

CONTENTS
List of contributors
Chairman's preface
Editorial Note
Acknowledgements

Introduction
History of previous excavation and research
The pre-Roman background
Chronological issues
Epigraphy
Coins from Roman Frontier in Wales (P. Guest)
Pottery, chronology and the forts of Roman Wales (P.V. Webster)

A Chronological review of the development of the frontier
Early campaigning and pre-Flavian frontiers
The Flavian conquest
The 2nd- to 3rd-century garrison
The frontiers of the later 3rd and 4th century
The end of the Roman Army in Wales and the Marches (P.J. Casey)

The installations and their garrisons
Distribution
Siting
Morphology, size and internal plan
Defences
Annexes
Internal buildings
Parade grounds
Water supply
The logistics of construction
The garrison

The communication system
Roman Roads in Wales and the Marches (R.J. Silvester and H. Toller)
Shipping (E.M. Evans, D. Hopewell, D.J.P Mason, K. Murphy, O.T.P. Roberts and R.J. Silvester)

The military-civilian interface: extramural settlements and sites with military associations
Introduction
Planning and layout
Buildings
Economic activity
Specialised activities
Religious beliefs
Cemeteries and burial practices
Chronological issues

The military-civilian interface: aspects of the military community, the military impact on the environment and economy, and army supply
Introduction
The military community and local interaction
The military impact on the environment and economy (A.E. Caseldine, with contributions by JLD)
Military supply: the contribution of ceramic studies (P.V. Webster)

Gazetteer of Sites
Legionary Fortresses
Campaign bases/Forts
Fortlets
Watch-towers/signal stations
Sites with probable military associations
Sites with possible military associations
Problematical/Rejected sites

Gazetteer of Roads
(E.M. Evans, D. Hopewell, K. Murphy, R.J. Silvester and H. Toller)
Glossary of Terms
Ancient Sources and Bibliography
Index

Related Publication Links:
Order your copy of  Roman Frontiers in Wales and the Marches
Gwerthu Llyfrau
Book Sales

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Key To Banner Images At Royal Commission Offices

Key to banner images

Back in 2009 a large banner measuring 9 by 3 metres was first displayed with various images from the Royal Commission's extensive archive on the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales.

The banner is best viewed from the Commission's car park found at the end of Stanley Road, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth. For those wishing to know more about the sites depicted, use the key (above) and links (below) to access Coflein (the Commission's free online archive) to learn more about each individual site. 

1. Carved spandrel at St Mary’s church, Haverfordwest
     NPRN: 103300    DI2006_0405
2. Pentre Ifan chambered tomb, Newport, Pembrokeshire
     NPRN: 101450    CD2005_602_011
3. Stack Rock fort, Herbrandston, Pembrokeshire
     NPRN: 268158    DI2006_1240
4. Jesse Tree in St Dyfnog's Church, Denbighshire
     NPRN: 165239    C2003/182/3
5. Bethania Welsh Baptist Chapel, Maesteg, Glamorgan
     NPRN: 13780    DS2006_118_002
6. Foel Drygarn camp, Foeltrigarn, Pembrokeshire
     NPRN: 94948    CD2003_605_012
7. Ynys-y-pandy slate mill, Dolbenmaen, Caernarfonshire
     NPRN: 40572    DS2007_280_002
8. Orphans at Albro Castle workhouse, Cardigan
     NPRN: 3041    DI2008_0248
9. Slate splitting at Blaenau Ffestiniog
     NPRN: 404307    DI2007_1042
10. Lighthouse at the Smalls
      NPRN: 34350    DI2006_0587
11. Dolwyddelan Castle, Caernarfonshire
      NPRN: 95299    DI2006_0587
12. Tubal Cain foundry, Butetown, Cardiff
      NPRN: 40463
13. Font at St Llawddog’s church, Cenarth, Carmarthenshire
      NPRN: 309895    DI2006_0222
14. Design drawing for Cardiff Inland Revenue and County Court Offices
      NPRN: 31750    PSA057

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Annual Closure of the Royal Commission's Library & Enquiries Service

Open Day at the Royal Commission, 2009

The annual closure of the Library and Enquiries Service will take place in the week 10 – 14 January 2011. Enquiries can still be made through the usual channels, but will not be answered during that week.

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A Look Back At Blog Posts During November 2010

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A look back at articles from the Heritage of Wales News blog, during November 2010.

• Wales, Newport And The Sea - MOROL (Institute of Welsh Maritime Historical Studies) Annual Conference
• Cadw Funded Nautical Archaeology Society Training Course Records Sunken Aircraft In Quarry...
• Early Industrial Workers’ Housing of Wales
• Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru - Y Bwthyn
• Medieval Dwellings Campaigns Of Improvement & Modernisation
• Digital Past 2011 - Conference Registration
• Royal Air Force Vertical Aerial Photography Collections
• Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru - Y Tŷ Modern
• Bookshop - Order Publications Direct From The Royal Commission
• ADIT: Horizontal Tunnel Opening From The Surface
• Remembrance Day Welsh National War Memorial
• Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru - Tai'r Ffin
• Heritage of Wales News Blog October 2010
• Digital Past 2011 New Technologies In Heritage, Interpretation & Outreach
• Egryn Abbey Welsh Gentry Medieval Hall House
• ABBEY: A Religious House Governed By An Abbot Or Abbess
• Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru - Y Tŷ Hir
• Bryndraenog Welsh Gentry Medieval Hall House
• Identification Of Principal Surface Features

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HLF/IfA Funded Placement In Aerial Discovery & Reconnaissance

Lleoliad a ariannir gan Fwrsariaeth Dysgu yn y Gweithle yr HLF/IfA mewn Darganfod a Chwilio o'r Awyr

Dyddiad Ago: 2 Rhagfyr 2010

Dyddiad Cau: 20 Rhagfyr 2010

Lleoliad: Aberystwyth

Disgrifiad o'r Swydd:
Gwahoddir archaeolegwyr proffesiynol, galluog ac uchel eu cymhelliant sydd â phrofiad o weithio ar brosiectau maes archaeolegol a defnyddio awyrluniau at ddibenion archaeoleg i wneud cais am leoliad hyfforddi a ariannir gan Gronfa Treftadaeth y Loteri (yr HLF) drwy gynllun Bwrsariaeth Dysgu yn y Gweithle yr IfA. Bydd yr ymgeisydd llwyddiannus wedi’i hyfforddi mewn chwilio archaeolegol o’r awyr ac yn y tasgau sydd ynghlwm wrth hynny, gan gynnwys ffotograffiaeth ddigidol, prosesu delweddau, a chatalogio a dehongli awyrluniau. Caiff ef/hi hyfforddiant ychwanegol mewn mapio awyrluniau, GIS a’r technegau gwaith maes y mae eu hangen i ymchwilio i ddarganfyddiadau o’r awyr, eu cofnodi a llunio adroddiadau ysgrifenedig arnynt.

Bydd gan yr ymgeisydd llwyddiannus gefndir mewn archaeoleg maes neu ddisgyblaeth gysylltiedig a hefyd radd anrhydedd dda, o leiaf, a pheth profiad o faes archaeoleg broffesiynol. Bydd deiliad y lleoliad yn atebol i’r Ymchwilydd o’r Awyr yn swyddfeydd CBHC yn Aberystwyth.

Bydd y swydd ar gael o fis Mawrth 2011 ymlaen, ac os cwblheir cyfnod prawf o 3 mis yn llwyddiannus (i’w adolygu ar sail cyflawni’r cyrchnodau dysgu y cytunwyd arnynt) , a bydd yn para 12 mis.

Cyflwyno’ch cais:
Gwneir cais am y fwrsariaeth drwy gyfrwng CV a llythyr cyflwyno, a dylai’r llythyr ddangos yn glir sut yr ydych chi’n bodloni meini prawf Manyleb y Person ar gyfer y lleoliad. Efallai y cewch hi’n fuddiol defnyddio meini prawf Manyleb y Person yn benawdau bach er mwyn iddynt gael sylw clir yn eich llythyr. Ceisiwch roi enghreifftiau go-iawn a pherthnasol lle bynnag y gallwch chi. Mae Cynllun Hyfforddi llawn ar gyfer y lleoliad, Disgrifiad o’r Swydd a Manyleb y Person ar gael o wefan yr IfA: http://www.archaeologists.net/

Marciwch eich ceisiadau i sylw’r Swyddog Adnoddau Dynol drwy’r post i CBHC, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. SY23 1NJ neu’n electronig i sue.billingsley@cbhc.gov.uk erbyn 20fed Rhagfyr 2010 fan bellaf. Os gwnewch chi gais drwy e-bost, gwnewch yn siŵr eich bod chi’n gofyn am dderbynneb.

Os hoffech chi drafod unrhyw agwedd ar y swydd, cewch chi gysylltu â Toby Driver ar 01970 621207 neu toby.driver@cbhc.gov.uk

Cynhelir y cyfweliadau ddydd Iau 20fed Ionawr 2011 yn swyddfeydd CBHC yn Aberystwyth.

Sue Billingsley,
Y Swyddog Adnoddau Dynol,
CBHC,
Adeilad y Goron,
Plas Crug,
Aberystwyth,
Ceredigion, SY23 1NJ.
Ffôn: 01970 621228.
E-bost: sue.billingsley@cbhc.gov.uk

Graddfa Cyflog: Ifa
Cyflog: £17,534 per annum
Hyd y cytundeb: 12 month
Cysylltwch â: Toby Driver

============================================

HLF/IfA Workplace Learning Bursary funded placement in Aerial Discovery and Reconnaissance

Opening Date: 2 December 2010

Closing Date: 20 December 2010

Location: Aberystwyth

Job Desription:
Applications are invited for a professional, highly motivated and capable archaeologist with experience in archaeological field projects and the uses of aerial photography for archaeology for a training placement funded by the HLF through the IfA Workplace Learning Bursary scheme. The successful candidate will be trained in archaeological aerial reconnaissance and its supporting tasks including digital photography, image processing, air photo cataloguing and air photo interpretation, and will receive additional training in air photo mapping, GIS and the fieldwork techniques necessary to research, record and prepare written reports on aerial discoveries.

The successful applicant will have a background in field archaeology or a related discipline and have, at the minimum, a good honours degree and some experience in professional archaeology. The placement holder will be responsible to the Aerial Investigator at the RCAHMW offices, Aberystwyth.

The post is available from March 2011 and, subject to successful completion of a 3 month probationary period (to be reviewed based on the achievement of agreed learning goals), will be for 12 months.

Making your application:
Application for this post is by CV and covering letter, which should clearly show how you meet the Person Specification criteria for the placement. You may find it useful to use the Person Specification criteria as mini headings so that they are clearly addressed in your covering letter. Please try and give relevant actual examples wherever possible. A full Training Plan for the placement, Job Description and Person Specification are available from the IfA website: http://www.archaeologists.net/

Please mark your applications for the attention of the Human Resources Officer by post to RCAHMW, Plas Crug, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. SY23 1NJ or electronically to sue.billingsley@rcahmw.gov.uk by no later than 20th December 2010. If you are applying by email, please ensure that you request a read receipt.

If you wish to discuss any aspects of the job you can contact Toby Driver on 01970 621207 or toby.driver@rcahmw.gov.uk

Interviews will be held on Thursday 20th January 2011 at the RCAHMW offices, Aberystwyth.

Sue Billingsley,
Human Resources officer,
RCAHMW,
Crown Building,
Plas Crug,
Aberystwyth,
Ceredigion, SY23 1NJ.
Tel: 01970 621228.
Email: sue.billingsley@rcahmw.gov.uk

Pay Scale: Ifa
Salary: £17,534 per annum
Contract: 12 month
Contact: Toby Driver


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Wales, Newport And The Sea - MOROL (Institute of Welsh Maritime Historical Studies) Annual Conference

On 13-14 November 2010, the 2nd^h Annual Conference of MOROL, Institute of Welsh Maritime Historical Studies, was held at Tredegar House, Newport. In the morning, speakers contributed illustrated talks on the theme of Wales, Newport and the Sea. Deanna Groom contributed a lecture on the compilation of the RCAHMW's Maritime Record

In the afternoon, the ground floor of the Tredegar House's coach house was opened to the public with stands featuring the work and collections of the Gwent Archives, Friends of the Newport Ships, West Wales Maritime Heritage Society and the Royal Commission. David James from the West Wales Maritime Heritage Society also presented an illustrated talk on the maritime history of Milford Haven

At the society's AGM, it was confirmed that last post on the committee had been filled (the Treasurer) which will hopefully allow the society to move forward with its aims and objectives.

The concept for the society grew from the legacy of the respected maritime author Aled Eames - society members organize the annual memorial lecture on Anglesey.

The society's aims include the promotion of interest and research into Welsh maritime history, as well as encouragement of the deposition of a maritime related sources to the care of relevant archives, libraries or museums.

Gwynedd Archive Service have also agreed that annual membership of the society will include receiving a copy of the journal Cymru a'r Mor/Maritime Wales.

For further information, please click: 

http://morol.eu/

Cadw Funded Nautical Archaeology Society Training Course Records Sunken Aircraft In Quarry...

Last minute briefing and checks between NAS course participants and course leader, Ian Cundy (centre).

Over the weekend of 13-14 November 2010, the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) held a Part I training course at Chepstow Leisure Centre and National Diving and Activity Centre (NDAC). The course aims to introduce archaeological projects from the planning phase through to carrying out a 3D survey and publishing the results. The lecture and preparatory session being held at the Leisure Centre and the practical element (e.g. establishing control points from which to survey various features) is hosted by the NDAC.

A small cabin cruiser usually forms the focus of these underwater activities, but Ian Cundy and Sue Barker, NAS course leaders, arrived to find that the cruiser had been removed!

However, participants were able to swiftly revise their dive plans to apply the survey concepts that had learned to their new target - a British Aerospace Jetstream 200 which was sunk in the quarry in 2006 to provide divers with a point of interest during their descent into the depths.

A return to the classroom provided the opportunity to check their measurements for accuracy. It was followed by a short lecture looking at the aspects of post excavation fieldwork and preparing archives for deposition with National Monuments Records given by the RCAHMW’s Maritime Officer, Deanna Groom.

Course participants about to descend on the British Aerospace Jetstream 200 which rests on the quarry floor under the orange buoy at a water depth of 11m

The NAS, in co-operation with Nigel Nayling, University of Trinity St David and the Newport Ship, is to hold a follow up training weekend for intertidal hulk recording on 19-20^th February 2010. The intended focus will be the mysterious hulk on the foreshore at Sully Island, near Swanbridge to the south of Cardiff.

The site was suggested by the Royal Commission because of the ongoing local interest to try and identify what the vessel might be. The Royal Commissions’ aerial photographic collectiosn suggest that the wreck since at least the early 1950s.

Places on the February course are filling up fast…. 1 place only remaining as of time of this post to the Heritage of Wales Bog.

For further Information, please click: 

www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/training/part3.php

or Contact NAS Office by Email at nas@nauticalarchaeologysociety.org by phone at 02392818419

See also www.coflein.gov.uk monument record NPRN 309865:

http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/309865/details/SWANBRIDGE+BAY+WRECK/

Early Industrial Workers’ Housing of Wales

A good example of early industrial workers housing on Brecon Road in Hirwaun.
Note how much lower the roof is than that of the house on the right.

Scott Lloyd and Spencer Smith have recently carried out additional fieldwork for the Early Industrial Workers’ Housing of Wales Project in the Heads of the Valleys area. The work will gauge the survival rate of the houses built before 1840, as recorded by Jeremy Lowe during the 1970s. Many of the houses that he recorded have subsequently been demolished and those that remain have been extensively redeveloped however some interesting early examples have survived. The information gathered will be added to the existing database and also be used in the preparation of a future publication on the subject. 

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